RECYCLING RECORD: Miami-Dade residents are doing their part for the environment, officials say: for the year that ended Sept. 30, the county’s curbside residential recycling program set a record, collecting 62,997 tons of materials, including aluminum and steel cans, paper, plastic bottles, cardboard, glass bottles and more, the most ever. The program includes recycling services to more than 348,000 single-family homes in unincorporated areas as well as those in 20 municipalities. Materials collected every second week go to a facility to be separated and prepared for recycling. Said Kathleen Woods-Richardson, director of public works and waste management, "When we first started this program, we wanted it to be easy for our customers to use, and they have responded above and beyond our expectations."

PAYPHONES ON HOOK: Payphones will remain on the streets of Miami with advertising panels into early next year as the city commission heeded a request by City Manager Johnny Martinez to defer a resolution to remove them from the right-of-way. City officials have been researching the payphone ad panels since late June, when it came into question whether the city was receiving or could receive revenue from the advertising.

MACY’S SALE: The Keyes Co. has been contracted by Macy’s to be its broker for most of its surplus property in Florida, said Regional Sales Manager Carlos Villanueva. Recently, the company closed the sale of a parcel owned by Macy’s within the Westland Mall. Mr. Villanueva said the buyer was a private equity group that plans to transform the site into vertical retail space. The parcel use to be an automotive dealership, he said. Mr. Villanueva said the deal was confidential as it was sold as a ground lease but will be converted to a sale within a year.

TECH GROWTH: Miami Tech Inc. in Hialeah plans to add 30 jobs and undergo $130,000 in facility upgrades within three years, according to the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s economic development agency. The air conditioning duct system manufacturer has plans for infrastructure improvements at its existing facility, which is in a designated enterprise zone. The Beacon Council said it assisted Miami Tech with permitting that allows the company to expand and maintain operations in Miami-Dade. In addition to the 30 direct jobs expected, the council estimates that nine jobs will be created indirectly due to the work.